After a bad move-out
Moved out owing money? Document it before you re-rent.
The days right after a bad move-out matter most. Once the unit is cleaned, repaired, and re-rented, the condition evidence is gone for good. Document what actually happened now — for your own claim, and so the history is factual instead of remembered.
What to do right now
Three steps, in order — and the first one is urgent.
These apply whether or not you ever use Optimized Rentals.
Dated photos and video of every room, every damaged item, exactly as it was left. A move-out condition record made today is worth more than any description written later.
The ledger of what's owed, the lease, communications, and receipts or quotes for repair costs. Keep it factual and complete — gaps get questioned.
Money owed after a tenancy generally goes through your provincial tenancy process or small claims court. Decisions turn on documented facts: your photos, ledger, and lease do the arguing.
Then: make it count
Turn a bad ending into a factual record — and a better start.
What happened is part of the rental history. Documenting it factually, with source records, is different from venting — it's the version that holds up.
Report the rental history
Submit a documented rental-history record with source context through a review process built around factual information and privacy.
Condition evidence, organized
Move-out photos and reports stay dated and attached to the unit — ready for a hearing, a claim, or the record.
Screen the next applicant properly
Start a structured applicant file: consistent applicant facts, organized references, and rental-history context.
Start the next tenancy on record
Move-in condition report, lease record, and rent tracking from day one — so a dispute never again depends on memory.
Related resources
Build the record forward
Document this tenancy, then set up the next one so it never gets this far.
How documented records are submitted and reviewed.
Tenant not paying rent?What to track while the tenancy is still active.
Move-in condition checklistThe document that protects both sides next time.
Collect applications freeChoose the next tenant with organized, consistent facts.
Protect your rentalThe full landlord record, from screening to move-out.
While the evidence still exists
You can't re-photograph a unit you've already repaired.
Document the move-out today — the claim, the record, and your next screening decision all depend on it.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Claim routes, forms, and timelines vary by province — check your provincial residential tenancy authority or small claims process for current requirements.